The Highway Man
by Ay Hua
Summary: The ledgend of a great man drawn to a strong woman, that was never meant to be.
1. Default Chapter

I do not own any characters in 'Gasaraki' nor do I own any rights to the poem 'The Highway Man'

Authors Notes: I just recently realized that the characters in the poem "The Highway Man" are quite similar to the ones in Gasaraki, in that they have a love that is laced with danger. If you want to read the poem it's here in its entirety.

http: if anyone can tell me what happens in volumes 7-8, that would be kindly appreciated. My local video store has yet to get the other two volumes in stock. So I thought what a good idea I'm gonna write a song/poem fic about it. And here you go. Enjoy.

The Highway Man

They had meet when Yushiro, weary from his long days traveling settled in at a local inn. There he saw the beauty that would take his life. Miharu, the landlord's daughter, her hair was long and full, the colour of moss on a warm summer day, her eyes though, in cased in a youthful face, spoke of deep knowledge. Yushiro was entranced.

"Sir?" Miharu addressed the man who had been staring intently at her for an hour now. He had not answered the other maids who worked at the inn bar when they came to ask him for his order. Finally they had dragged her from behind the counter to serve him; it seemed he would only address her. "Sir, you've been here an hour now…would you like some of the soup and a warm loaf?"

Yushiro turned his focused eyes to Miharu's lips. They seemed to be moving but yet he could not register what she was telling him. All he could do was whisper 'beautiful' and reach out to touch her face.

Miharu was shocked. He was no more then inches from her face and he was caressing it like she was some sort of fine porcelain and he had said 'beautiful' just before. Was he so attracted to her that he forgot everything? No, that was foolishness. He was just a lonely traveler who had been a long time away from women and was finding any female form attractive. She removed his hand from her face and said "I guess you'll be having the soup. I'll be right back sir."

Yushiro sat back as he watched her retreating form. _What an ass!_ He thought, _I just meet the woman and all I do is grab her face like a sex starved maniac_.

"Father?" Miharu, after getting the meal ready for the strange traveler was faced with her father Won standing forcefully in the entrance.

"That traveller, what did he say to you?"

"N-nothing. He…" Miharu would have told her father what he had said but she knew that it would have infuriated him to no end. He never approved of the men that came to stay at the inn. He called them vagabonds, not worth the skin they resided in.

"I have heard the red coats have been looking for a man on the run. And it seems to me that that is the man."

Miharu smiled she knew her father well, the only reason he felt that this man was a danger was the fact that he show interest in her. "No father, you're just paranoid. The red coats check this inn once a week. If that man was really the one they were hunting he would never have stayed here." She smiled softly and slid past him out into the loud and smoke filled room.

"Sir your meal." Miharu placed the dishes on the table in font of the young man. He still watched her intently but did not make another attempt to touch her. Miharu had to admit to herself that the man was quiet handsome. His light brown hair was cut into a shaggy mop atop his head, but the mess seemed to give him character. And his eyes, they seemed to bore into hers. There was something magnetic to them, and Miharu could not help but be attracted to them.

"Miss"

Miharu looked up, he had spoken.

"Miss please sit with me. It has been a long time since I have been in the company of a beautiful woman, and I would like to hear of what has been happening since I began my travels."

Miharu not too surprised that he would wish that stood up tall and placing her hands on her hips and said "Sir if you wish the 'company' of a woman those type can be found outside the inn, I'm not one of them." And turned to leave.

Yushiro realising his mistake stood up also and reach out for her. "Wait! No - I didn't mean that! Please. Miss, my name is Yushiro, please, sit, and talk with me."

Miharu stopped and turned slowly, she met his eyes and saw the sincerity there. She sighed and moved to sit brushing her bangs from her eyes, Yushiro did the same. There they sat not a word between them until 'they' came.


	2. Part 2

I do not own any characters in 'Gasaraki' nor do I own any rights to the poem 'The Highway Man'

Authors notes: sorry about the mix up in the first chapter. Since the web page didn't show up I suggest that you just check google or whatever search engine you use to read the poem, it's really quite beautiful.

The Highway Man pt 2

"Hello there bar keep!" said the man in red. His companions also dressed in red began to forcefully remove the occupants of tables that they wanted. "Give us a pint each and where is that lovely daughter of yours eh? We would all much appreciate her serving us." they began to laugh as their innuendo sunk in.

Won calmly addressed them; never glancing to the back table where she sat crouched beside the traveler. "I am sorry Commander Daizaburo; she is not feeling well this evening. Any of the other girls will be all too pleased to serve you."

"Humph…fine we want the blonde one!"

Won nodded and gestured to one of the blonde servers. As she passed by him he took hold of her arm and said, "be careful, these men are already well watered down. Keep your distance as much as possible." The girl nodded and steeled herself for what was to come.

Yushiro watched the incident with mild interest. His attention was focused on Miharu who had the moment the red coats entered shuffled her chair to his right and she now hid behind him. "What fears you so?"

"Them." She whispered. "They have been patrolling this road for months now. Looking for anyone and anything they can get. And they have been bothering my father, trying to get me to 'favour' them in return for not bothering the inn anymore."

Yushiro nodded he didn't like the sounds of these red coats they seemed nastier then the average stuck up solider, he pulled his cloak over the edge of the table giving Miharu more room to move, he was certainly not a small man but he wasn't big enough to hide her for long. "How far is it to your room?"

Miharu looked up at him, questions running top speed through her head.

"It would be safer for you to be out of the room while they are here, which way to your room?"

Miharu putting her trust in this unknown man's hands pointed to their left. There were a pair of back stairs that lead to the owners quarters. Yushiro nodded and taking her hand said, "follow my every move." Miharu did as he asked and slid right up to his side. Yushiro stood stock still for a moment, and when he was finally able to, took a deep breath of Miharu's sweet smell, roses and cinnamon, a lovely combination. He then began his slow and deliberate walk to the back stairs, keeping a close eye on the red coats. They once glanced in their direction but Won stood in the way allowing them to escape.

They soon reached the second floor landing where they lived. "Thank you." Beamed Miharu, she looked at Yushiro with eyes far older then her age. "Would you like to have some dinner? I know you didn't have any of the food I brought you earlier." Miharu looked kindly on Yushiro.

Yushiro could only look down on the woman before him and be captivated by her beauty. "Actually," Yushiro began and took Miharu's hands in his own "I was wondering if I might get to know you a bit better." He leaned down to her level and watched her eyes. They sparkled like sliver in moonlight and Yushiro wanted nothing more then to steal her away so that he might be the only one to look upon them.

Miharu looked back at Yushiro her heart beating rapidly in her chest. All she was able to was nod her head in a silent answer to his request. So began their love affair.

Yushiro would show up every night to the little inn regardless of spending the night there or not. He would watch his little waitress as she danced about her duties and when evening cooled she would sit with him and talk. Some times without her father near by the lovers would steal kisses before the dawn broke.

It was on one of these nights that the two lovers exchanged more then just kisses.

"Do you _have_ to leave in the morning?" Miharu whined. It had been hours since she had had a chance to spend some time with Yushiro and she wanted so badly to spend as much time as she could fit into a day. She felt in the back of her mind that something this good could not last.

Yushiro sighed. They had been battling over him leaving for the last twenty minutes. "I'm sorry my love but I have to. I have to get the gold that will allow us to leave this place and find one of our own. Please Miharu understand I am doing this for us." Yushiro bent to kiss his beloved goodbye when she pressed her whole body against him. She was a slight thing but her breasts were firm and suited her frame. He sighed in the kiss; she was trying to seduce him into staying. Breaking the kiss Yushiro said, "beloved, I must leave…" but his breath caught in his throat. She looked up at him, her eyes clouded over with passion.

"Please Yushiro…stay the night." She whispered hoarsely. Her eyes searching his for the answer that she wanted.

Seeing that there was no way he could leave her now he bundled her up in his arms and carried her to her room, which he knew now so well. Once there he placed her on the bed and went about undressing. Unspoken words passed between the two. Neither of them were virgins, not in this time or place, but neither of them had gone this far in their romance. They finished and they looked on one another, their eyes scanning the perfect flesh. Miharu smiled coyly, while Yushiro smirked. Yushiro climbed over to Miharu their smiles echoed one another in the dark.


End file.
